The Artemis II astronauts (left to right) Jeremy Hansen, Christina Koch, Victor Glover and Reid Wiseman salute a welcoming ceremony for them in Houstons.
Photo: AFP/ Ronaldo Schemidt
The freshly returned Artemis II astronauts have expressed awe over their recordsetting lunar flyby mission, urging unity on Earth, after witnessing the planet’s isolation like a “lifeboat” in space.
On Saturday, the crew spoke for the first time since their return at a news conference, as NASA took a victory lap following the success of the mission.
The astronauts did the first slingshot around the Moon in more than 50 years and travelled deeper into space than any humans before, culminating in a smooth splashdown on Friday, off the coast of California.
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Flanked on stage by mission commander Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Jeremy Hansen, astronaut Christina Koch called for people on Earth to embrace their shared humanity.
“What struck me wasn’t necessarily just Earth, it was all the blackness around it,” said Koch. “Earth was just this lifeboat hanging undisturbingly in the universe.
“There’s one new thing I know and that is Planet Earth – you are a crew.”
Hansen called on fans of the Artemis mission to see themselves in the crew of four, who marked a series of milestones: Glover was the first person of colour to fly around the Moon, Koch was the first woman and Canadian Hansen the first non-American.
“I would suggest to you that when you look up here, you’re not looking at us,” Hansen said. “We are a mirror reflecting you and, if you like what you see, then just look a little deeper.
“This is you.”
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While hurtling through deep space and zipping around the Moon, the Artemis astronauts took thousands of photographs, amassing a stunning portfolio of images.
They also witnessed a solar eclipse, along with extraordinary meteorite strikes on the lunar surface.
“Artemis II will always be remembered,” NASA administrator Jared Isaacman said. “It was the moment we all saw the moon again, where childhood dreams became missions.
“You helped the world start believing again and this is something no-one’s ever going to forget.”
Artemis II was the inaugural crewed mission of NASA’s programme aiming to install a sustained presence on the Moon, including the eventual construction of a base that could be used for further exploration including to Mars.
NASA hopes it can put boots on the lunar surface as soon as 2028.
– AFP